Paper Cuts
by ArturiaBlackandAmadeaWeasley
Summary: In the wake of a tragedy Motoko finds herself holding onto more than just the remnants of a paper crane. Can Batou help her or will the normally diehard Major allow her memories to consume her? Post 2nd Gig.


Disclaimer – Sadly, I do not own Gits:Sac.

This is just a story I found going through my journals from a while back and trust me, there are plenty more stories where this one came from. Anyways I hope you enjoy the story! Please read and review! I cannot express enough how much reviews are greatly appreciated by my sister and I!

* * *

"How long's it been since we've done something like this?" Batou tipped his mug of beer to his mouth, glancing across it's rim at the purple-haired woman sitting next to him.

The woman gave the faintest smile in return. "Too long."

The hustle and bustle of the bar went unnoticed by the two operatives, each lost in their own little world. A moment of silence passed between the two as they each sipped their own respective drinks.

"You know…" Batou's voice trailed off thoughtfully. "You've been awful quiet lately."

"Mmmm?" Motoko's head popped up. "What? I'm sorry… I was just thinking."

"Yeah… You've been thinking a lot lately haven't you?"

A lack of response from Motoko evoked an inward sigh from Batou. Ever since that day – no, Batou corrected himself. Ever since that incident with that damn' bastard Kuzei the Major just hadn't been the same. Whatever happened between her and Kuzei while they were trapped under that rubble had obviously affected her greatly. As to what however nobody save Motoko herself knew.

"Well," Motoko stood, causing her knees to wobble dangerously in the process; threatening to buckle at any moment. With a concerned glance, Batou noted that she hadn't turned on her alcohol processing program yet.

"Err…Major? You want me to walk you back to your apartment? I mean…" The large cyborg briefly glanced over the unsteady figure standing before him. "No offense but you look like you're about ready to fall over and with all that alcohol in your system…"

"Don't worry about me," Motoko grimaced. "I'll be fine." Before Batou could argue the matter any further however, Motoko was already out the door and halfway down the street.

"Take care of yourself my ass," Batou grumbled. Hastily tossing the change for his drink on the bar, he stepped onto the deserted city sidewalk and ran to catch up to Motoko, who was wobbling dangerously. Motoko caught sight of him out of the corner of her eye and made as if to say something. Batou braced himself, expecting to hear one of her hard-grit responses, perhaps a harsh a harsh criticism for his unwillingness to obey her wishes. Instead, Motoko drooped her head warily and simply said, her voice tired and worn, "Why are you following me Batou? Why don't you just go home, it's getting late anyway."

"Late," Batou scoffed, hoping to lighten up the mood a little. "Are you kidding me? It's only two in the morning, the night is young!"

"…"

"Eh? Oh…" Batou skulked in place at Motoko's side. Every once in a while he'd chance to sneak a glance at Motoko's face. "You haven't turned on your alcohol processors yet." He observed upon seeing her stumble a few times.

"…"

"Why are you doing this to yourself Major? It's not like you to leave yourself vulnerable like this."

"Who said I was vulnerable?"

"I did. You can barely walk." Another rickety step nearly sent the Major crashing to the ground, only for Batou to catch her. Readying herself with the help of Batou's arm, Motoko continued walking and much to Batou's surprise instead of brushing his hand aside she leaned in closer to him until her head was nearly resting on his chest.

"I guess the night's still young for one of us." Motoko commented with droopy eyes.

"Just hold up for a bit longer, we're almost to your apartment. Err…well, one of your apartments anyway. I'm not quite sure which one. Why do you have so many places anyway?"

"Protection," Motoko shrugged.

"Right…"

The large apartment rested in the distance, warm lights from within beckoning the pair onward.

* * *

Motoko and Batou entered the dimly lit apartment. Despite the obvious lack of lighting however, Batou was able to easily guide the Major to her bedroom located in the back of the small apartment.

"Thanks," Motoko stumbled into bed, tucking herself in for the night.

"Aren't you going to change?" Batou asked, giving Motoko an almost perplexed look.

"Change?"

"Yeah, you know, change into your pajamas for the night?"

"You get me drunk, take me home and then ask me to change. Why exactly did you come here again Batou?" Motoko teased, some of her old bluntness showing through.

"Hey!" Batou let out a frantic cry. "That's not how I meant it at all! I, ummm…well I just… Ah, hell with it!"

Motoko let out a small laugh at his, pulling a smile from Batou as well. "Night Batou."

"Night."

Just as Batou turned to leave an object on Motoko's bed stand caught his attention. For a moment he paused, eying the paper crane with a questioning gaze. Before he could stop himself the words, "Is that something Kuzei made for you?" popped out of his mouth. Immediately he regretted this as a look of sheer sorrow and pain overwhelmed the Major's countenance. Batou mentally kicked himself, muttering an inaudible curse under his breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I just…" Well, if he went this far he may as well take this conversation all the way. "Ever since Kuzei's death you've been a totally different person. What happed Major? What happened that you lost your spark - that fire within you that drove you?"

"I don't know," came the reply. Batou flinched at the frailness of her voice; so quiet and so scared. Almost like that of a lost little girl. And perhaps Motoko was telling the truth. Perhaps she didn't know but something deep inside him, his ghost he supposed, told him otherwise.

Anger welled up inside the large cyborg. Emotions he had long suppressed rose to the surface and bubbled over. "Well damn' it Motoko I can't help you if you won't tell me what happened!" Batou snapped and Motoko flinched, taken aback by Batou's unusual behavior. Frustrated, Batou turned to leave once more, hands balled up into tight fists.

"Batou." Slowly he turned to face Motoko. "You really want to know what happened?"

"That would be nice," Batou said, his voice a tad calmer now. Making his way to a nearby chair Batou slumped down in it. His outside demeanor remained cool and attentive. Inside however, he was burning to find the cause of Motoko's sudden change of character. "Well?" He gently prompted, noticing her hesitance. "Aren't you going to tell me?"

"No."

"No? But -!"

"I'm going to show you." Pulling the hair up from the back of her neck, Motoko motioned for Batou to connect with the cyber-portals implanted there.

"Major! I can't -!"

"You want to find out or not?" Came the curt response.

"Yeah, but…"

"But what?"

"Nothing."

Striding to Motoko's bedside, Batou yanked the connection cord from the back of his neck, preparing to connect. His hand stopped short of the cyber-connectors as he asked, "You sure about this?"

"I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't."

Batou nodded in ascent. "Right then… Let me know if you want to stop at any time." With great reluctance Batou hooked his cable to the connector at the base of Motoko's neck and was immediately immersed in a flood of memories.

Images of rubble flashed through Batou's second-hand memories. Motoko's own emotional fluctuations mingled with his own, giving him a small taste of the misery and bitter sweet joy she had felt at being trapped with him. The conversation between the two dragged back and forth between Kuzei's plans, their past together, and other various subjects. Then it happened. Both reached over, embracing the other in a tight hug; each expecting to never make it out of there alive.

The memories switched then. Now, Batou found Motoko standing beside the motionless body of Kuzei. A wave of agony rolled through her body, dropping her to her knees beside the fallen man. A sudden warmth rolled down Motoko's cheek as she reached up with a trembling hand and dabbed at the foreign warmth. Drawing her hand away Motoko was surprised to find her fingertip stained with tears. At that point her emotional tensions reached their climax, nearly becoming unstable. And just like that, the memory ended.

With a grimace Batou disconnected. "Geez Major, I had no idea. I'm so sorry – huh?" Batou was cut short when he noticed Motoko's slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her face nearly buried in his chest. If she weren't so emotionally drained Batou swore she might have cried.

"Motoko," he whispered, daring to use her first name. Gingerly, he caressed her trembling body in his arms. "I'm sorry about Kuzei. I know you cared for him deeply… I know it's always hard losing someone close like that but you've got to try to move on. Death is a part of everyday life and I'm sure Kuzei wouldn't want you to spend the rest of yours mourning his loss. You've still got all of us at Section Nine, remember?"

"I suppose so."

"You suppose so? Major, we've always been there for you and we'll continue to be there for you until the end of the frickin' world."

"Batou…" Motoko lifted her ruby-eyes until they met Batou's prosthetic ones. Batou could see the infinite pain and suffering they held and it wrung him to his heart's core. Weak was not a word that he ever would have associated with the diehard, badass Motoko of before, yet that's how she appeared to him now.

"Try and get some sleep. I'll be right here if you need me." Batou had scarcely uttered these words and tucked Motoko into bed than she was fast asleep, enmeshed in her one escape from reality.

Brushing aside a few bangs from her face Batou sighed. For the first time he understood the reasons for Motoko's state of permanent depression. And now that he knew the source of the problem, he hoped he could reverse its effects and restore Motoko to her former self.

* * *

The sound of a muffled scream aroused Batou from his deep slumber. Senses on alert, he searched the room for the source of the disturbance, tracing it to the other side of the room where Motoko sat up wide-eyed in bed. Beads of cold sweat trickled down her face as her breath came out in short, uneven gasps. Cautiously, he approached her bed, taking care so as to not startle Motoko further. His efforts proved to be in vain however, when his foot landed on a creaky floorboard and Motoko's head shot in his direction. Her face appeared puzzled, almost as if she didn't quite register the reason for his presence in her apartment.

"Batou?" She panted, in a daze.

"Nightmare?" He asked tentatively, keeping a short distance from her bedside.

"You could say that."

"Care to talk about it?"

"It's one I've been having for a while now," Motoko said, head resting in her hands. "It always picks up the moment after I found Kuzei's body. Only in my dream he's still alive when I get there and every time he asks me – begs me to connect with him and carry on his work. And every time I refuse, even as he dies, looking at me with contempt and disappointment in his eyes. As much as I care for him I know that I cannot possibly continue his work for him. To do so would be to let you and the rest of Section Nine down. Yet every time I do end up letting everyone down. Somehow, Kuzei's death gets pinned on me; that it was my negligence and carelessness that resulted in his death. Nobody trusts me anymore and before long it accelerates to the point where on a mission, no one bothers to listen to my orders and I get pinned by the enemy without any backup to help me. At first the enemy doesn't kill me; satisfied with torturing me at first. And each time I'm tortured the enemy assumes a new form. One moment they're the Chief, the next you and before long, Kuzei. Usually the enemy finishes me off while in Kuzei's form but tonight… Tonight it was you. I don't know why I keep having that dream. Maybe my ghost is trying to tell me something…"

"Hey," Batou cooed, enveloping Motoko in a gentle hug. "Relax. It was just a dream, nothing more. No one is mad or disappointed with you and I can guarantee that if you were ever abducted by an enemy Section Nine would make sure they never saw the light of day ever again."

"Hey, Batou?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you – Will you stay here with me tonight?"

"Uhhh…" Batou stammered, taken aback by her unusual request. "Of course I will." Feeling slightly awkward, Batou slipped underneath the sheets, positioning himself next to Motoko's body. Her hair brushed up against his chin, tickling him. He could feel the heat radiate from her body. Daring to put an arm around her waist, he moved in closer to her, forever her guardian angel. Batou waited a few minutes until he felt Motoko's body relax and her muscles un-tense. Feeling it was safe now, Batou shut off the power source to his eyes, ready to catch some shut eye of his own.

* * *

The sound of running water and the scent of coffee aroused Batou from his slumber. Bright sunlight filtered in through the bedroom window and Batou let out a small groan as he rebooted his eyes and was immediately hit full forth by the intensity of the light. Still dazed from sleeping, Batou stumbled into the kitchen and helped himself to a cup of coffee.

Not before long Motoko joined him, her hair still damp from the shower. "Morning," Batou said casually. "Feeling any better?"

"Just peachy," replied Motoko, taking a giant swig of coffee. "Listen, about last night -."

"Don't worry about it," Batou interrupted. "It'll be out little secret."

The Major smiled. "Good… And thanks."

"No problem."

_-"Major, do you read me?"-_ Aramaki's voice echoed in both Motoko and Batou's minds via their secure communication links.

_-"Loud and clear Chief. What seems to be the problem? It must be pretty important if you're contacting me on my day off."-_

_-"Yes well, I'm afraid you may have to come in, you day off notwithstanding. Two armored suits were just hijacked from the Todoyama Research Lab just moments ago."-_

_-"You think the hijackings might be terrorist related?"-_

_-"There's not enough evidence to draw any definite conclusions yet. I have Togusa and Saito working on the case right now but there's no time to go into great detail at present. I need both you and Batou down here ASAP!"-_

_-"Roger that Chief. I'll notify Batou and then we'll be on our way."-_

Closing the communication link with Aramaki Motoko turned to Batou, a smirk implanted on her face. "You heard the man, let's go!" With renewed vitality Motoko raced for the door, heaving it open. When she didn't notice Batou behind her however, she conjured up the most intimidating glare she could muster and turned it on the large cyborg who involuntarily flinched at the sight of it. "Well? Are you coming or are you just going to sit on your ass all day?"

"Hold you horses, I'm coming!" By the time Batou had said this, Motoko was already nearing the end of the hallway, leaving Batou behind. In spite of himself Batou smirked, muttering more to himself than anyone else, "That's my Major."

For the first time in a long time Batou stepped out into the hallway of the apartment complex after Motoko, confident that everything would be okay. From outside, the sun shone down, illuminating everything it's rays touched.

Inside Motoko's apartment a paper crane lay at the bottom of a large chest, buried but not forgotten.


End file.
